Process of making a permanently embossed elastic webbing



`fune 5, 1956 J. V. MCGRE Filed Feb, 1955 INVENTOR Jon/v M0025 ATTORNY United States Patent PROCESS OF MAKING A PERMANENTLY ENIBOSSED ELASTIC WEBBING .lohn V. Moore, Pawtucket, R. I., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Moore Fabrics, Inc., Pawtucket, R. I., a corporation of Rhode Island Application February 25, 1953, Serial No. 338,922

1 Claim. (Cl. 28-74) This invention relates to elastic webbing particularly designed for personal wear. Such webbing may be used, for example, in the manufacture of garment-supporting belts.

It has previously been proposed to provide such elastic webbing with an embossed and ornamental surface design, but webbing thus embossed has not proved satisfactory. It has been found that repeated stretching of the fabric, and particularly in the presence of moisture, quickly destroyed the embossed appearance.

It is the general object of the present invention to provide an improved process by which a permanently embossed elastic webbing may be produced.

To the attainment of this general object, I have devised an improved process for the manufacture of embossed webbing which will now be set forth.

In such manufacture, I rst provide an elastic webbing in which the elasticity is produced by covered-rubber warp threads which do not appear on the face of the fabric. These covered-rubber warp threads are woven under tension and in conjunction with non-elastic warp threads, non-elastic weft threads, or both.

The weave is such that at least one surface of the fabric is formed of non-elastic warp or weft threads. This surface is relaxed by the contraction of the rubber warp threads, thus providing a iine twill or terry-loop face of non-elastic material. This twilled or looped face is cushioned by the covered-rubber warp threads in the body of the fabric.

After this elastic webbing is thus produced, it may be dyed if desired, and is then immersed in a bath of any usual sizing liquid. Itis thereafter wrung-out or squeezed and thoroughly dried, this being the usual procedure in the manufacture of a sized elastic webbing.

The sized webbing is then immersed a second time in a special sizing liquid containing a resinous component which when dried is of substantial tensile strength and with notable waterproofing qualities. After the webbing has 2,748,447 Patented June 5, 1956 ICC been immersed in this second and special sizing bath, it is again Wrung-out or squeezed, and is dried over calendar rolls or in any other convenient manner.

A selected surface design is then embossed on the prepared and specially sized webbing, which surface design may simulate leather. An embossing roll is commonly used, and the design is embossed on that face of the webbing which -is comprised of non-elastic threads in dried and relaxed condition.

The cushioned and relaxed surface threads provide a fabric face to which the special sizing more strongly adheres, and this face is well adapted to receive and retain an embossed impression, particularly when cushioned by the rubber warp threads during embossing.

It is found that a piece of elastic webbing, thus Woven, specially sized and thereafter embossed, will retain its embossed appearance throughout the useful life of the webbing.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claim, but what I claim is:

The process of making an embossed elastic webbing which comprises the following successive steps: weaving an elastic fabric with elastic warp threads held under tension and positioned below non-elastic surface threads, allowing the tensioned elastic warpv threads to contract and produce an elastic webbing having looped and relaxed surface threads, sizing, squeezing and thoroughly drying the elastic webbing while thus contracted and with its surface threads relaxed, immersing the elastic webbing in a special liquid coating material while still in contracted and relaxed condition, again squeezing and thoroughly drying the contracted and relaxed elastic webbing, and finally embossing the impregnated, coated, dried and relaxed elastic webbing to produce an elastic webbing having a relaxed non-elastic surface which has a permanent configuration, and said special liquid coating material containing a resinous component which when dried has substantial strength and notable waterproofing qualities.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,030,066 Jenett Feb. 1l, 1936 2,083,248 Teres June 8, 1937 2,116,701 Hodgkins May 10, 1938 2,119,150 Bowen May 31, 1938 2,173,976 Moore Sept. 26, 1939 2,253,123 Gross Aug. 12, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS 497,647 Great Britain Dec. 22, 1938 

